Railway car



Sept. 14, 1965 w. H. PETERSON 3,205,835

RAILWAY CAR Filed Sept. 10, 1962 '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. WILLIAM H.PETERSON Sept. 14, 1965 w. H. PETERSON RAILWAY CAR 7 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Sept. 10, 1962 w s Qm mm QM ME WM 1+ I W Q 1 1F Pm .3 tR Q 2: H,llr l II n |.L r M W, R w a m 3 R Q i m S m a, M w mm E L ww 8 W Q N33w J h% m m m. h hm hm Q, J k [I m 6% g Y Hm mm W p u 3 mm Sept. 14,1965 w. H. PETERSON RAILWAY CAR 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 10, 1962INVENTOR. WILLIAM H. PETERSON BY I Gwnuujml7iflmdwv Sept. 14, 1965 w. H.PETERSON RAILWAY CAR 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 10, 1962 INVENTOR.WILLIAM H. PETERSON BY awmwfifi fimoziif/mdwt Sept. 14, 1965 w. H.PETERSON 3,205,835

RAILWAY CAR Filed Sept. 10, 1962 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 .N a N EE w m m 3 U rf *6 E w L 3? E Q m J an s m 0 U mi u 9W m Y 2 J; *3 2 m R w 3 Q m hm mSept. 14, 1965 w. PETERSON 3,205,835

RAILWAY CAR Filed Sept. 10, 1962 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR. WILLIA M HPETERSON mfg/1m wmdem/ was.

W RSON Sept. 14, 1965 Filed Sept A *5 I (a 3 m L i N w N n! m 1 o E2 1 88 35 W ll g "I I I U1 8 f .111

a K 1. w m to In so w "W 35 f v WILLIAM 0w1Z W &M$Wm (II/HHS.

United States Patent 3,205,835 RAILWAY CAR William H. Peterson,Homewood, lll., assignor to Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, Ill., acorporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 10, 1962, Ser. No. 222,405 Ciaims.(Cl. 105-368) This invention relates to a new and improved bodystructure for trailer-type vehicles, particularly railway cars, the bodystructure being especially adapted for use as a part of an open deckrailway flat car in piggyback operations involving the transportation ofwheel supported vehicles such as trailers or the like.

More specifically, the invention deals with a special railway carstructure utilizing a unique underfrarne and deck design includingspecially arranged vertical Web supports for load bearing deck portionsas well as accommodation of a coupler carrying sliding sill arrangementincluding unique operational and structural features.

Conventional railway fiat car design has involved the utilization ofthree parallel beams consisting of the main structural center sill beamand outboard side sill beams tied in by longitudinally spaced, andtransversely extending cross bearers located between the outer sidesurfaces of the center sill beam and underlying the deck of the car infixed attachment with the side sill beams. Various modifications of thisbasic car design have been proposed in an effort to reduce the amount ofmaterials involved in car fabrication, thereby reducing the over-allcost and weight of the car, while maintaining adequate car strength. Theadvent of substantial piggyback trailer operations has raised newconsiderations, particularly the consideration of structurallyaccommodating concentrated loads at trailer wheel and fifth wheel standlocations. With variation from basic fiat car design, consideration hasalso been given to the design of low level cars which are capable ofaccommodating trailers of increased height within railway operationaloverhead clearance limitations.

In addition to the foregoing, ca-r coupler cushioning arrangements havebeen devised and used successfully in protecting lading from damagecaused by operational shock developed during car operation. A highlyeifective form of cushioning arrangement includes the utilization of alongitudinally continuous sliding sill mounting at opposite ends thereofthe conventional couplers with the sill being of sufficient length toprovide for relative movement between the car body and couplers ineither direction of a length adequate to permit substantial dissipationof operational shock by utilization of suitable cushioning meansoperative between the sliding sill and the car body. The addition ofequipment of this nature adds to the over-all cost and weight of the carthus necessitating new economies in cost and weight in the design of thecar body or other basic elements of the car structure. In this respectit has been rather conventional to add the separate sliding sillstructure to a standard car by housing the same in the conventionalcenter sill structure thus additionally creating a problem ofaccessibility to the operating parts of the sliding sill structure,especially the cushioning means thereof.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improvedbody structure for trailer-type vehicles and the like, particularlyrailway cars, the structure utilizing design concepts accommodatingconcentrated loads while maintaining cost and over-all weight withindesirable limits.

Still a further object is to provide a new and improved body structurefor a railway car making use of uniquely improved design conceptsespecially adapting the same for piggyback operation in thetransportation of wheel supported lading.

A further object is to provide a new and improved rail- 3,235,835Patented Sept. 14, 1965 Way car including a body structure of specialdesign permitting the ready accommodation of concentrated loads alongthe open deck area thereof, and further providing for special andimproved mounting of a sliding sill cushioning arrangement permittingready accessibility for cushion installation and maintenance.

Other objects not specifically set forth will become apparent from thefollowing detailed description of the invention made in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the railway car of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged transverse section of a central portion of thebody structure of the car;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating the cushion mountingarea of the central portion of the car;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the cushion mounting area of thecar;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the cushion mountingarea of the car taken generally along line 5-5 in FIG. 4; i

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective of a portion of thesliding sill arrangement of the car illustrating the operativearrangement of cushion abutment means;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective of one of the sliding sill membersand cushion abutment means forming a part thereof;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective of a cushion abuti ment meanscarried by the body structure of the car;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective of a part of the sliding sillmounting and guide arrangement of the body structure;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged transverse section of one bolster end portion ofthe car taken generally along line 1010 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary perspective of a bolster end portion of the carillustrating body structure design features forming a part thereof;

FIG. 12 is a partly sectioned enlarged end view of the car as viewedgenerally along line 1212 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective of one end portion of thebody structure illustrating a preferred form of movable end sill andtelescopic deck portion especiaily adapted for use with the structure.

The railway car 20 as shown in FIG. 1 is of general fishbelly designincluding a relatively deep central portion between the wheel trucks 21of the car and opposite end, relatively shallow bolster portions fromwhich couplers 22 project. The car 20 is of open deck, flat bodystructure design including a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinallycontinuous deck plates 23 receiving therebetween a sliding sillstructure generally identified by the numeral 24, the inner edgeportions 25 of the deck plates 23 being directed vertically upwardlyalong opposite sides of the sliding sill structure 24 and defining alongtheir outer surfaces rub rail areas for the guiding of wheel supportedvehicles along the car. Opposite ends of the car are provided withmovable end sills 26 attached to raised coupler housings 27 and havingfixed thereto extensible and retractable deck plate portions 28 whichare telescopically received in raised deck housings 29 carried by thedeck plates 23 at opposite ends thereof. The movable end sills 26 alsocarry thereon pivotally mounted bridge plates 30 which are used in theconventional manner to interconnect the deck plates of a series of cars20 for continuous operation of Wheel supported vehicles therealongduring loading and unloading of trailers or the like.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the basic structural features of the centraldeep portion of the body structure of the car 20. .This structureincludes the transversely spaced deck plates 23 which terminate alongtheir inner edge portions in the upstanding longitudinally continuousrub rail areas 25. Located substantially centrally of each of the deckplates 23 is a depending support web 31 which is fixed along its upperedge to the undersurface of the deck plate and which extendssubstantially vertically downwardly therefrom being slightly inwardlyinclined in a downward direction. Each support web 31 is longitudinallycontinuous of at least the central deep portion of the body structureand the bottom edge thereof is fixed centrally to the top surface of alongitudinally continuous transverse flange plate 32 defining the bottomside margin of the body structure.

A series of longitudinally spaced, preferably channelshaped, crossbearer plates 33 extend transversely between the support webs 31.Opposite ends of each cross bearer plate 33 is in fixed engagement withinner surface portions of the spaced support webs 31 and the crossbearer plate is also preferably in fixed engagement with the adjacentsurfaces of the spaced transverse flange plates 32. The cross bearerplates 33 are preferably spaced substantially below the deck plates 23thus defining a space between the deck plates, support webs and top surfaces of the cross bearer plates. FIG. 9 best illustrates the provisionof pairs of reinforcing angles 34 which at their uppermost ends arefixed to the adjacent undersurfaces of the upstanding rub rail platesincluding the top horizontal continuous flanges 35 thereof. The bottomends of the angles 34 are attached to the top horizontal flanges 36 ofthe cross bearer plates 33 thus providing vertical supports for the rubrail plates 25 and yet maintaining a substantial longitudinal areacentrally of the body structure to receive therein the sliding sillstructure 24. The angle supports 34 are preferably located at each crossbearer plate 33 longitudinally of the car.

The basic cross bearer means of the car structure including the crossbearer plates 33 are completed by the provision of diagonal supportbeams 37 extending up wardly and outwardly from fixed attachment withthe outer central portions of the support webs 31 into upper end fixedattachment with longitudinally continuous angle beams 38 fixed to thedeck plates 23 below the same just inwardly of the outer edge portionsthereof. The diagonal support beams 37 are longitudinally spaced and maybe located in transverse alignment with each of the cross bearer plates33.

The sliding sill structure 241is basically of conventional designincluding a pair of longitudinally continuous, outwardly openingchannel-shaped beams 39 which are transversely interconnected atsuitably spaced intervals therealong by web plates 40 (FIG. 11) and atopposite ends thereof have fixed thereto the raised coupler housings 27best shown in FIG. 13. The couplers 22 are suitably mounted in theraised coupler housings 27 for limited pivotal action in the knownmanner. The sliding sill structure 24 is located longitudinally of thecar in supported relation on the cross bearer plates 33 recessedrelative to the deck plates 23 and positioned between the verticalsupport angles 34. The beams 39 of the sliding sill are guided andsupported directly by I-shaped beam segments 41 and 42 which are fixedto the top flange 36 of the respective cross bearer plates 33 and whichare spaced longitudinally along the car to provide adequate support andguiding action for the sliding sill beams.

FIG. 9 illustrates one short pair of guide beam segments 42 locatedlongitudinally of the car in association with a cross bearer plate 33spaced from the cushion mounting area of the car, this latter area beingshown in FIGS. 25. Another pair of sliding sill guide and support beamsegments 42 is shown in FIG. 13 located along side one of the raisedcoupler housings 27. It will be understood that any suitable number oflongitudinal pairs of beam segments 42 may be utilized to provide properguiding of the sliding sill beams 39 longitudinally of the car. As bestshown in FIGS. 2 and 3, suitable wear plates 43 may be fixed to theopposed surfaces of the sliding sill beams 39 and guide beam segments 41and 42 to provide for ready sliding operation of the sliding sillstructure 24. The guide beam segments 42 of each pair are preferablyinterconnected along their top surfaces by transverse tie strips 44 forfixed positioning thereof. Such a strip is shown in FIG. 9.

The guide beam segments 41 are of sutficient continuous length to definetherebetween a cushion pocket 45 receiving therein a known type ofcushioning means 4-6 as best shown in FIG. 5. Such cushioning means isof the hydraulic type basically including a cylinder 47 and a piston 48surrounded by a return spring 49, the outer end closure of the cylinder47 being in the form of a circular plate 50 and the outer end of thepiston 48 also including a similar circular plate 50.

The cushion pocket 45 as best shown in FIG. 3 is defined along the sidesthereof by the sliding sill beams 39 and elongated guide beam segments41, and is defined along its bottom surface by a generally concave plate51 centrally received in a cut-out portion 52 formed in the centralupper surface portion of the adjacent cross bearer plates 33 andattached along its opposite edges to the inner bottom flange portions ofthe guide beam seg ments 41. Bracing gussets 53 are preferably fixed tothe bottom plate 51 and to the opposite side surfaces of the adjacentcross bearer plates 33 to further stabilize the cushion pocketstructure. A removable cover plate 54 extends over the top of thecushion pocket 45 and is provided along opposite side margins withupstanding flanges 55 engaged by a series of removable fasteners 56 withco-operating flanges 57 attached along the inner marginal top surfacesof the guide beam segments 41.

The end plates 50 of the cushioning means 46 are in engagement with aplurality of stop means which confine the cushioning means in thecushion pocket 45 and which are operative therewith to provide fordissipation of operational shock during relative movement of the slidingsill structure 24 and the remainder of the car 20. FIGS. 6-8 bestillustrate the series of co-operating cushion stops which are located atopposite ends of the cushioning device 46. Each channel beam 39 of theSliding sill structure carries on the inner surface thereof a fixedvertical plate 58 which is reinforced by a pair of longitudinal plates59 also fixed to the inner surface of each beam 39. The stop plates 58project inwardly into the cushion pocket along opposite sides thereofand are freely received alongside an upstanding I-b-eam member 60 whichat the bottom end thereof is fixed to the bottom plate 51 of the cushionpocket. The I-beam 60 includes an abutment surface 61 located betweenthe abutment surfaces of the adjacent stop plates 58. As best shown inFIG. 6, the end plates 50 of the cushioning device 46 are of suflicientdiameter to overextend the abutting surfaces of the co-operatingabutment means 58 and 60. As mentioned above, this arrangement isrepeated at opposite ends of the cushioning device 46.

To provide the special cushion pocket design described above with therequisite strength and adequately stabilize the vertical abutmentmembers 60, a special assembly arrangement is utilized. This arrangementis best illustrated in FIG. 6, FIG. 4 generally illustrating thisarrrangement at opposite ends of the cushion pocket. The vertical I-beamabutment member 60 is fixed to the bottom plate 51 of the cushion pocketas previously described. In order to permit ready assembly of thevarious components and yet fix the top end of the abutment member 60 toprovide adequate strength thereto, a special cover plate section 62spans the top surfaces of the guide beam segments 41 directly over theabutment member 60. The cover plate is provided with a centrallylocated, longitudinally extending slot 63 permitting access to the topsurface of an intermediate flat plate 64 fixed to the top edge of theabutment member 60. The intermediate plate 64 is welded to the top ofthe abutment. memb r 60 prior to installation of the latter in fixedconnection with the bottom plate 51. The cover plate 62 is then appliedwith the opposite edges thereof overlapping the stop surfaces of theguide beam segments 41 and these opposite edges are suitably fixed tothe guide beam segments such as by welding. The central slot 63 is thenutilized to fix the intermediate plate 64 to the cover plate 62 such asbe welding around the engaged surface portions of the combined plates.This arrangement provides for stabilization of the special abutmentmembers 60 and yet permits ready assembly of the various components ofthe cushion pocket.

To further stabilize the cushion pocket structure, bearing in mind thatsubstantial force application occurs in this area of the body structureupon operational impact in buff or draft, additional stablizing platesor tie strips 65 extend in overlapping fixed relation with the outermarginal top surface portions of the guide beam segments 41 and alongopposite margins are suitably fixed to the adjacent inner surfaces ofthe rub rails 25. This feature is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Operation of the sliding sill structure 24 is conventional. An impact inbuff or draft created at the couplers 22 will result in sliding movementof the sill beams 39 relative to the remainder of the car structure. Thestop plates 58 move with these beams and a pair of such plates willcompress the cushioning device 46 against the opposite abutment member60 of the cushion pocket with the result that the cushioning device willcontract and force dissipation will occur in the known manner. Thespring 49 provides for the return of the cushioning device to itsoriginal length accompanied by neutral relative repositioning of thesliding sill and body structure.

To provide for wheel truck operation, the bolster end portions of thecar 20 are designed as best illustrated in FIGS. and 11. The supportwebs 31 at opposite ends thereof are formed with diagonally inwardlydirected portions 66 (FIGS. 11) provided with bottom transverse flangeplates 67 fixed thereto on each side of the sliding sill structure 24.The plates 66 and 67 extend into fixed attachement with a longitudinalI-beam 68 extending over the wheel trucks 21 and to the fixed end of thebody structure. Preferably the transverse flange plate 67 has fixed atthe inner end thereof an additional flange plate 69 which is fixed tothe bottom surface of the adjacent I-beam 68 for strengthening purposes.This arrangement provides for a pair of closely transversely spacedbeams 68 housing the beams 39 of the sliding sill structure 24immediately over the wheel trucks 21 and to the fixed ends of the bodystructure. In effect, the co-operating beams 68 constitute anothersegment of sliding sill support and guide beams similar to the beamsegments 41 previously described. However, for structural rigiditylongitudinally of the car, the support webs 66 and transverse flangeplates 67 interconnect the beam segments 68 with the support webs 31 andtransverse flange plates 32.

In the bolster end portions the body structure is formed with suitablecross bearer plates 70 which extend from connection with the centerbeams 68 below the deck plates 23 in fixed engagement therewith and intoconnection with the longitudinal reinforcing angle members 38 adjacentthe outer edge portions of the deck plates 23. The cross bearer plates70 preferably include bottom transverse flange portions 71 with thevertical support angles 34 extending downwardly into bottom edgeattachment therewith. A bolster top cover plate 72 extends across thetop surfaces of the center beams 68 and spans the intermediate areathrough which the sliding sill beams 39 are received. A known type ofcenter bolster plate 73 is fixed across the bottom of the center beams68 and cross bearer plates 70 and is formed with a central aperture 74adapted to receive the king pin of a wheel truck 21.

The telescoping end structures of car 20 including the movable end sills26, movable deck portions 28 and raised housings 29 are of the typedisclosed in my co-, pending application Serial No. 222,404, filedSeptember 10, 1962. The disclosure of my co-pending application isincorporated herein by reference and only the basic structural featuresof the movable end sill arrangement will be described herein.

FIGS. 12 and 13 best illustrate each movable end sill arrangement asincluding the end sill 26 fixed to the outer end of the raised couplerhousing 27 adjacent the striker plates 75. The ends of the sliding sillbeams 39 are fixed to the opposite sides of the raised coupler housing27 and the entire coupler housing and end sill 26 form a part of thesliding sill structure 24. Attached to the top flat flange portions 76of the end sill 26 on opposite sides of the coupler housing 27 are themovable deck portions 28 which are in the form of a plurality oflongitudinal inverted channels 77 including fixed longitudinalreinforcing angles 78 located inside the same. The outer ends of thevarious vertical portions of the elements of each deck portion arepivotally mounted on a transverse rod 79 journaled at opposite endsthrough apertures 80 in journal blocks 81 fixed on the top flange 76 ofthe end sill 26. The journal blocks 81 are also provided with an outerpair of aligned apertures 8-2 by means of which the conventional bridgeplates 30 may be pivotally mounted on the end sill 26.

Referring particularly to the right hand portion of FIG. 12 as viewed,the bottom horizontal portions of the supporting angles 78 are slidablyreceived between the bottom surfaces of longitudinal angle members 83fixed at their upper ends to a flat plate 84 defining the raised deckhousing 29 located on opposite sides of the sliding sill structure 24and constituting a continuation of the deck plates 23 at the endsthereof. As shown in FIG. 13, each raised deck housing 29 is supportedon transverse plates 85 suitably attached to the closely spaced centerbeams 68 at their inner ends and attached with a longitudinal anglemember 86 at their outer ends. The top horizontal flange portion of theangle member 86 has fixed thereto a transverse sleeve journal 87receiving therein the outer end of a rod 88 extending through suitableapertures in the vertical wall portions of the various longitudinalangle members 83. journaled in any suitable manner in the adjacentcenter beam 68. The innermost transverse edge of the raised housingplate 84 is in the form of an inclined ramp 89 to assist in theintroduction of wheel supported vehicles onto the plate 84 duringloading and unloading operations.

For adequate support of the deck plates longitudinally between the crossbearer plates 70 from the diagonal support webs 66 to the ends of thecar, suitable floor stringers (not shown) of known type may be attachedto the undersurface of the deck plates between or through the crossbearer plates 70. Preferably, such floor stringers will belongitudinally aligned with the angle members 83 of the deck housings29.

The arrangement described provides for controlled extension andcontraction of the effective deck of the car 20 at opposite ends thereofduring impact in buff or draft. Movement of the end sill 26 with thesliding sill structure 24 relative to the remainder of the car bodyresults in either extension of the deck portions 28' from the raiseddeck housings 29 or retraction of the deck portions 28 therein dependingupon the direction of movement of the specific end sill. During suchmovement any binding between the relatively telescoping parts iseliminated by the pivotal mounting of the deck portions 28 and housings29. In this respect it will be understood that the deck portions 28 areattached to the structure solely through the rods 79 at the outer endsthereof whereas the raised housings 29 are attached to the structuresolely through the rods 88 at the inner ends thereof. The tele- Theinner end of the rod 88 may be I scoping action of the deck portions andhousings provide for the maintaining of these structures in their fullyoperative position as deck extensions at all times.

The raised housings 29 provide means whereby the axles of wheelsupported vehicles are raised during passage thereof over the couplerhousings 27. The telescoping end portions of the car permit utilizationof the particular form of sliding sill structure 24 in a piggybackoperation type railway car. In other words, the telescoping action ofthe deck portion 28 and housings 29 provide continuous spanning meansbetween the movable end sills 26 and the deck plates 23 of the bodystructure.

The car described is specially designed for utilization with wheelsupported lading, such as trailers or the like, which impartconcentrated loads to the deck portion of a car in the areas of wheelengagement therewith. While fifth wheel stands have not beenillustrated, such stands being used in the well known manner to supportand attach trailers on a flat car, the particular design describedreadily accommodates the operative mounting of fifth wheel stands at anylocation therealong except in the area of the cushion pocket 45. It willbe understood that fifth wheel stands may be readily mounted on theguide beam segments, such as the segments 41, which would be ofsufficient length to accommodate a stand and would be located in anysuitable area along the car. Such stands would in their collapsedcondition be readily received between the rub rail plates 25, and intheir raised operative position would adequately project thereabove foran eflicient connection with a trailer. Other conventional apparatus,such as brake rigging and the like, is readily accommodated by the carstructure of the invention. This apparatus, with the exception of asuitable hand brake unit 90 of FIG. 12, has not been illustrated.However, the car structure provides readily available areas for brakerigging mounting such as adjacent the cross bearer plates 33 eitherinwardly or outwardly of the supporting webs 31. Trainlining of airhoses and the like is readily accommodated well within the carstructure, such as below the deck plates 23 and inwardly of the supportwebs 31, thus permitting complete protection of equipment which isreadily subject to damage.

The body structure throughout the most critical central portion of thecar is in the form of two parallel beams with each beam consisting of adeck plate 23 as the top flange thereof, a vertical intermediate supportweb 31, and a bottom transverse flange plate 32. The parallel beams aretransversely tied together for unified torsional operation by the crossbearer plates 33. Inspection of FIGS. 1-3 and 9-11 illustrates the lackof any direct connection between the deck plates 23 in the centralportion of the car. This permits each beam supporting the associatedwheel track area to have longitudinal independence of the other. Whilethe beams are torsionally rigid due to their lateral spacing and lateralinterconnection below the deck, they are relatively independent fordeflection along the longitudinal axis in response to applied loads.With this arrangement the deck plates 23, which in eflect constitute thetop flanges of the parallel beams, can be of substantial width merely bythe utilization of low cost and uncomplicated additional rigidifyingelements. in this respect the vertical support angles 34 rigidity thedeck plates 23 along their inner edge portions and the uncomplicateddiagonal supports 37 rigidify the deck plates 23 along their outer edgeportions. Still further, the particular design permits advantageousutilization of the raised inner edge portions of the deck plates '23both structurally and functionally, these portions defining the rubrails and the top horizontal flanges thereof further constitutingrigidifying compression members extending longitudinally of the car.

The design readily accommodates eflicient and uncomplicated mounting ofthe sliding sill unit 24. This unit is adequately supported by thesurrounding structure, particularly the cross bearer plates 33. The unitmay be of light weight fabrication as the guide beam segments 41 and 42need not extend continuously throughout the length of the car. Thedesign permits construction of a low level car making use of the raisedcoupler housings 27 to locate the couplers 22 at conventional height.However, the design features may also be advantageously used in a car ofany suitable height bearing in mind that the raised coupler housings maybe eliminated if the sliding sill unit 24 is located at conventionalcoupling height.

Obviously certain modifications and variations of the invention ashereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit andscope'thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed asare indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A railway car for use in transporting wheel-support lading, said carcomprising a body structure having a relatively deep central portion andopposite end relatively shallow bolster portions, said central portionbeing formed from a pair of deck plates extending longitudinally of saidstructure in transversely spaced relation, a pair of transversely spacedvertical support webs attached to said deck plates substantiallycentrally thereof, longitudinally extending transverse flange platesattached along the bottom edges of said webs, the spacing of said deckplates and support webs being selected to place the same in direct loadbearing relation with the wheels of lading adapted to be transported onsaid car, a plurality of longitudinally spaced transverse channel-shapedcross bearer means engaging said webs and said flange plates above saidflange plates, the top edge portion of each of said cross bearer meansbeing spaced substantially below said deck plates, the inner edgeportions of said deck plates projecting upwardly along said structurecontinuously longitudinally thereof, vertical supports interconnectingsaid inner edge portions with said cross bearer means, the outer edgeportions of said deck plates being tied to said webs by diagonal supportmeans, coupler carrying sliding sill means extendingly longitudinally ofsaid structure below said deck plates and over said cross bearer meansin supported relation thereby, and cushion means in said sliding sillmeans and in opposite end confinement between abutment means carried bysaid sliding sill means and by said cross bearer means for cushioningrelative longitudinal movement between said sliding sill means and theremainder of said structure in response to operational force applicationin buff and draft, each of said bolster portions including a pair oflongitudinally continuous and closely spaced center sill beams housingsaid sliding s1ll means and to which said deck plates and webs andflange plates are connected, said webs and flange plates extendingdiagonally inwardly to establish said connection, and further crossbearer means extending transversely from said center sill beamsoutwardly under said deck plates in supporting engagement therewith.

2. An open deck railway car for use in transporting wheel supportedlading, said car comprising a body structure at least the centralportion of which is formed from a pair of laterally spaced andlongitudinally extending beams of generally I-beam configuration witheach including single vertical webs and top and bottom horizontalflanges, said top and bottom flanges being spaced laterally from oneanother without direct lateral interconnection therebetween 1110!adjacent to the horizontal planes of said top flanges at leastthroughout a substantial part of the overall length of said bodystructure to permit limited independent relative deflection of each ofsaid beams under load, the lateral spacing of said beams locating saidwebs and top flanges in direct load bearing relation with the wheels oflading adapted to be transported on said car, and flanged cross bearermeans extending transversely of said body structure and between thevertical webs of said beams and fixed thereto in longitudinally spacedrelation, at least one longitudinal margin of each top flange havingformed therewith a body structure rigidifying longitudinally continuousvertical flange contributing to the top chord of the over-all beamdefined by said body structure.

3. The railway car of claim 2 wherein said cross bearer means arerecessed below the area of lateral spacing of said top flanges, couplercarrying sliding sill means are mounted on said cross bearer means,through said area and extend longitudinally of said body structure insupported relation on said cross bearer means, and cushion means arecarried by said body structure in operative engagement therewith andwith said sliding sill means for cushioning relative longitudinalmovement between said sliding sill means and said body structure inresponse to operational force applied to said car.

4. An open deck railway car for use in transporting wheel supportedlading, said car comprising a body structure at least the centralportion of which is formed from a pair of laterally spaced andlongitudinally extending beams of generally I-beam configuration witheach including single vertical webs and top and bottom horizontalflanges, said top and bottom flanges being spaced laterally from oneanother without direct lateral interconnection therebetween in oradjacent to the horizontal planes of said top flanges at leastthroughout a substantial part of the over-all length of said bodystructure to permit limited independent relative deflection of each ofsaid beams under load, the lateral spacing of said beams locating saidwebs and top flanges in direct load bearing relation with the wheels oflading adapted to be transported on said car, flanged cross bearer meansextending transversely of said body structure and between the verticalWebs of said beams and fixed thereto in longitudinally spaced relation,at least one longitudinal margin of each top flange having formedtherewith a body structure rigidifying longitudinally continuousvertical flange contributing to the top chord of the over-all beamdefined by said body structure, and means interconnecting bothlongitudinal margins of each top flange with said cross bearer means toimpart torsional stability to said top flanges and beams.

5. The railway car of claim 4 wherein said cross bearer means arerecessed below the area of lateral spacing of said top flanges, couplercarrying sliding sill means are mounted on said cross bearer meansthrough said area and extend longitudinally of said body structure insupported relation on said cross bearer means, and cushion means arecarried by said body structure in operative engagement therewith andwith said sliding sill means for cushioning relative longitudinalmovement between said sliding sill means and said body structure inresponse to operational force applied to said car.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS ARTHUR L. LAPOINT, Primary Examiner.

LEO QUACKENBUS'H, Examiner.

Austgen 392.5

1. A RAILWAY CAR FOR USE IN TARANSPORTION WHEEL-SUPPORT LADING, SAID CARCOMPRISING A BODY STRUCTURE HAVING A RELATIVELY DEEP CENTRAL PORTION ANDOPPOSITE END RELATIVELY SHALLOW BLOSTER PORTIONS, SAID CENTRAL PORTIONBEING FORMED FROM A PAIR OF DECK PLATES EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAIDSTRUCTURE IN TRANSVERSELY SPACED RELATION, A PAIR OF TRANSVERSELY SPACEDVERTICAL SUPPORT WEBS ATTACHED TO SAID DECK PLATES SUBSTANTIALLYCENTRALLY THEREOF, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING TRANSVERSE FLANGES PLATESATTACHED ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGES OF SAID WEBS, THE SPACING OF SAID DECKPLATES AND SUPPORT WEBS BEING SELECTED TO PLACE THE SAME IN DIRECT LOADBEARING RELATION WITH THE WHEELS OF LADING ADAPTED TO BE TRANSPORTED ONSAID CAR, A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED TRANSVERSE CHANNEL-SHAPEDCROSS BEARER MEANS ENGAGING SAID WEBS AND SAID FLANGES PLATES ABOVE SAIDFLANGES PLATES, THE TOP EDGE PORTION OF EACH OF SAID CROSS BEARER MEANSBEING SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW SAID DECK PLATES, THE INNER EDGEPORTIONS OF SAID DECK PLATES PROJECTING UPWARDLY ALONG SAID STRUCTURECONTINUOUSLY LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF, VERTICAL SUPPORTS INTERCONNECTINGSAID INNER EDGE PORTIONS WITH SAID CORSS BEARER MEANS, THE OUTER EDGEPORTIONS OF SAID DECK PLATES BEING TIED TO SAID WEBS BY DIAGONAL SUPPORTMEANS, COUPLER CARRYING SLIDING SILL MEANS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OFSAID STRUCTURE BELOW SAID DECK PLATES AND OVER SAID CROSS BEARER MEANSIN SUPPORTED RELATION THEREBY, AND CUSHION MEANS IN SAID SLIDING SILLMEANS AND IN OPPOSITE END CONFINEMENT BETWEEN ABUTMENT MEANS CARRIED BYSAID SLIDING SILL MEANS AND BY SAID CROSS BEARER MEANS FOR CUSHIONINGRELATIVE LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID SLIDING SILL MEANS AND THEREMAINDER OF SAID STRUCTURE IN RESPONSE TO OPERATIONAL FORCE APPLICATIONIN BUFF AND DRAFT, EACH OF SAID BOLSTER PORTIONS INCLUDING A PAIR OFLONGITUDINALLY CONTINUOUS AND CLOSELY SPACED CENTER SILL BEAMS HOUSINGSAID SLIDING SILL MEANS AND TO WHICH SAID DECK PLATES AND WEBS ANDFLANGE PLATES ARE CONNECTED, SAID WEBS AND FLANGE PLATES EXTENDINGDIAGONALLY INWARDLY TO ESTABLISH SAID CONNECTION, AND FURTHER CROSSBEARER MEANS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY FROM SAID CENTER SILL BEAMSOUTWARDLY UNDER SAID DECK PLATES IN SUPPORTING ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH.